Posts

Sen. Cruz: Obama Wants Power to Choose Ministers at Churches

/12 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released a report documenting attempted abuses of federal power by the Obama administration on Tuesday, saying the administration “knows virtually no bounds.”

Cruz points to Obama’s own Supreme Court appointees, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, to make his case:

“When President Obama’s own Supreme Court nominees join their colleagues in unanimously rejecting the Administration’s call for broader federal power six times in just over one year, the inescapable conclusion is that the Obama Administration’s view of federal power knows virtually no bounds,” the senator’s report said.

The Obama administration’s over-reaching includes attempts to electronically track Americans without cause and deny churches the right to choose their own ministers…

In one case, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. EEOC, the Justice Department argued it “had the right to oversee a church’s choosing of ministers,” which even Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan called “amazing.”

Read more from this story HERE.

US Senator Says Obama Is Faking Stance on Immigration Reform, Trying to Set Up GOP in 2014

/2 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Irish Central

Texas Freshman Senator, Ted Cruz, was on the Sean Hannity radio show today talking about immigration reform efforts being pushed in the US Senate by Harry Reid and President Obama.

According to Cruz, both Reid and Obama are purposely pushing reforms designed to lose in the House of Representatives. This loss then can be used as a political sledgehammer to beat up the Republicans with in the 2014 and 2016 elections.

Two of the critical issues that are apparently a red line for many members of both the House and Senate are secure borders and pathways to citizenship.

A key issue for Senators trying to find a way to craft immigration reform is to make sure our borders are secure first, before any other issues of immigration are addressed. But it seems President Obama, Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer think our borders are secure enough and want to force an immigration package through that does not really address a verifiable secure borders provision. To many politicians that will make anything coming out of the Senate, DOA for immigration reform when it reaches the House of Representatives.

The hypocrite Senator Schumer, couldn’t have been caught at a more inopportune moment when he and Senator McCain recently stood in front of the border fence in Arizona for photo ops. Just when the pictures were being taken, an alien from Mexico climbed over the fence and entered the US illegally. This could make Schumer the poster child for non secure borders.

The latest polls also show Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of having secure borders before any immigration reform is put in place.

Cruz was adamant the type of immigration reform with path to citizenship Reid and Obama were pushing, would be unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who play by the rules. Cruz said that would be a slap in the face to legal immigrants and a tacit wink that it is OK to disrespect the nations laws.

Cruz went on to say if President Obama was serious about immigration reform, he would take pathway to citizenship out of the proposed immigration reform, then reform could easily pass…Perhaps a pathway to work permits

According to Cruz even a pathway to a Green Card would be unfair since that could lead to citizenship in five years and it would be considered a reward for illegal behavior.

Many Americans are also disturbed about the reported number of illegal immigrants in this country. That number was reported to be up to 20 million towards the end of 2012. But as soon as the Obama administration started proposing immigration reform, the number suddenly shrank to only 11 million. What are we to believe?

___________________________________________

Ed Farnan is the conservative columnist at IrishCentral, where he has been writing on the need for energy independence, strong self defense, secure borders, 2nd amendment, smaller government and many other issues. His articles appear in many publications throughout the USA and world. He has been a guest on Fox News and a regular guest on radio stations in the US and Europe.

Rand Paul and Ted Cruz Threaten Filibuster on Guns (+video)

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are threatening to filibuster gun-control legislation, according to a letter they plan to hand-deliver to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office on Tuesday.

“We will oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions,” the three conservatives wrote in a copy of the signed letter obtained by POLITICO.

Reid plans to bring up a gun-control measure that focuses on broadening background checks and cracking down on interstate gun-trafficking after the current Senate recess.

Conservatives are concerned that once that bill reaches the floor, amendments could stiffen restrictions on gun control.

Watch the video here:

[our apologies, but this video is not viewable on all browsers]

Read more from this story HERE.

Landrieu Angrily Confronts Cruz Over Abortion Amendment

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: John Orrell

Ted Cruz’s effort to tie United Nations funding to China’s abortion policy provoked a sharp, private rebuke from Mary L. Landrieu on the Senate floor Saturday morning.

Shortly before 4 a.m., the Louisiana Democrat strode from her desk on the Democratic side of the chamber all the way to the Texas Republican’s desk on the far side to give him a piece of her mind after Cruz insisted on a roll call vote on his amendment to the Senate budget resolution. Cruz wanted to create a new point of order against funding the United Nations as long as any of its member nations have a policy of involuntary abortions.

“I suggested to him that a more direct and a more effective route might be for Texas to stop all exports to China or to stop any financial exchanges between Texas and China,” Landrieu told CQ Roll Call after she voted on the budget shortly before 5 a.m.

“That would have had a much more direct effect on what he was trying to do than take money from the U.N. … I thought he might like the idea. He should try it next time,” Landrieu said. After a cross-looking Landrieu left to return to her desk, a bemused Cruz smirked and chatted with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who voted for the amendment.

The amendment had zero chance of passing — it was defeated 38-61 — but like many of the other amendments considered well after midnight, it appeared to be aimed at putting senators in a politically difficult position: either they go on record whacking the United Nations or they face the potential for attack ads saying they voted to protect forced abortions in China.

Read more from this story HERE.

News Editor’s Note: Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski sided with the Democrats (including, of course, Sen. Mark Begich) in voting against Cruz’s anti-abortion amendment.

Ted Cruz’s ‘Big Gulp Amendment’ Latest Mockery Of Bloomberg Soda Ban

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Mockery and scorn for New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s bid to ban big sodas came swiftly, and now conservatives are pouring it on: Freshman Sen. Ted Cruz proposed a “Big Gulp Amendment” Friday to prohibit the federal government from following Mr. Bloomberg’s lead…

The Daily News reported that the Texas lawmaker and tea party favorite submitted the resolution as part of the Senate’s debate over a new budget, and calls for “prohibiting federal regulation of food and beverage size and quantity.”

The legislature is largely symbolic. Even if it was passed by a Democrat controlled Senate, it would not be binding on federal agencies. The federal government has no plans for such restrictions.

Read more from this story HERE.

Senators Paul, Cruz, and Lee Join Democrats to Vote Against Ryan Budget

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: breitbart

Earlier this week, GOP Rep. Mick Mulvaney offered the Senate Democrat budget proposal for a vote in the House. The budget plan was defeated, with 35 Democrats crossing the aisle to oppose it. Thursday night, Dem Sen. Patty Murray responded by offering Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget for a vote in the Senate. The measure failed, 40-59, with 5 GOP Senators joining in opposition. Interestingly, among these 5 were Sens. Paul, Cruz and Lee.

Sens. Paul, Cruz and Lee are providing the nucleus of an emerging conservative opposition in the Senate. While there are other conservatives in the GOP caucus, these three are establishing themselves as reliable voices to articulate the conservative opposition to an ever encroaching government.

They are becoming skilled at identifying issues to make a stand on principle. I have no doubt that if their votes could have pushed the Ryan budget into passing, they would have voted for it, as it is likely the best option on the table. Frankly, however, the Ryan budget doesn’t go as far as conservatives would prefer. A vote against an amendment that was already going to be defeated was a good moment to stand on that principle.

Read more from this story HERE.

Video: Coulter Blasts Feinstein’s Reaction To Ted Cruz’s Gun Regulation Questions

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Daily Caller

In an appearance on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel program on Thursday night, conservative commentator Ann Coulter blasted California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein for telling Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz at a hearing earlier in the day that she’s “not a sixth-grader” when he attempted to analogize the First and Second Amendments.

“He asked some very important questions, and Dianne Feinstein, like her other ‘I am woman, hear me roar’ Democratic female Hillary Clinton, as soon as they get a question they don’t like, they start crying,” Coulter said. “Oh that’s fantastic.”

Coulter, the author of “Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama,” then made her own comparison of the first two amendments.

“She raised the First Amendment and she said, ‘Well, we banned child pornography.’ The very answer proves the absurdity of what is happening. The First Amendment protects speech, not photographs. It certainly does not protect photographs of genitals. If we interpreted the Second Amendment,which protects arms, the way we interpreted the First Amendment, you would have a right to your own personal nuclear weapon. That’s how extreme it is, and I would add in fact the First Amendment does protect virtual child pornography. It certainly protects writing about child pornography, and for her to say, ‘Well don’t worry, we’re not banning these other guns,’ well OK, how about we just ban The New York Times because we still have The Daily News and The New York Post.”

Watch video here:

Read more from this story HERE.

Dianne Feinstein, Ted Cruz Trade Barbs Over Gun Ban (+video)

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: DonkeyHotey

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a hugely controversial ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips, but the measure faces nearly certain defeat on the Senate floor.

The proposal, authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), bans 157 different models of assault weapons, as well as magazines containing more than 10 bullets. The vote was 10 to 8, with all Democrats supporting it and all Republicans opposed.

The Senate now faces a floor fight in coming weeks over Democrats’ push to dramatically alter U.S. gun laws for the first time in two decades. While the Feinstein assault weapons ban is unlikely to overcome GOP opposition and get a vote — as well as concerns from red state Democrats up for reelection in 2014 — Democrats and the White House will continue their drive to enact universal background checks on all gun sales.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, acknowledged that the assault weapons ban will have a hard time overcoming opposition.

“It’s pretty clear the other side is locked in opposition [to assault weapons ban.] — [I] don’t see us getting 60 votes,” Whitehouse said, referring to the necessary bar to pass the Senate.

Watch video here:

Read more from this story HERE.

Cruz: Let’s See if Obama’s Willing to Shutdown Gov’t to Fund Obamacare

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: AP

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced an amendment on Wednesday that would cut off all funds for Obamacare, a step he said Republicans should support and, if it were to pass in the House as well, could be sent to President Barack Obama to see if he’s “willing to try to shut the government down” over funding of the Affordable Care Act.

“I think it’s the right position for Republicans to be taking,” Cruz told CNSNews.com. “And I think it would be exactly the right decision to then send it back to Harry Reid and President Obama and ask if Harry Reid and President Obama are willing to try to shut the government down in order to insist that Obamacare be fully funded now, even though it could well push us into a recession.”

“I think that is an important stand for principle that makes a difference in the lives of those who are struggling the most,” said the senator.

On Wednesday, Cruz introduced his de-fund Obamacare amendment to the continuing resolution (CR), which is a massive “must-pass” bill to keep the government funded for the rest of this fiscal year, from late March through the end of September.

Last week, the Republican-controlled House passed a $982-billion CR, but the GOP leadership set the rule and did not allow the must-pass CR to include language prohibiting funding for Obamacare or for de-funding the controversial Obamacare mandate that requires nearly all health plans to offer contraceptives, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs without co-payments.

Read more from this story HERE.